The Best Things In Life
by Songsa
Summary: My take on Gippal's story; From his childhood, to his struggles in the Crimson Squad, and then his rise as Machine Faction leader. Gippal learns of the best things in life, but sometimes he wonders if they are really for him.
1. Prologue

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_A/N:__ Ok so this idea has been bugging me for quite some time. Originally I was going to wait until a little later to post this cause I want to get back on my other neglected stories and was only going to write chapters for this out in the mean time. However, I'm getting a bit stuck on how I should write out the Al Bhed dialogue and I don't want to keep writing chapters until I'm sure how I want them written. I don't want to just write it in English because it just doesn't feel authentic enough for me so you'll have to forgive all the Al Bhed during the early chapters of Gippal's childhood. I promise that it'll lighten up. To try and compensate I wrote the translation in parenthesis after each paragraph the Al Bhed is in. Think of it as the pink letters in the game. I still don't know how satisfied I am with it, so I'd LOVE to hear your opinions on it. Thank you. Also, I don't have a whole lot of experience writing through the POV of a five-year-old so forgive me if Gippal thinks a little too... maturely for his age. Let's just say that Gippal is very smart and gifted ('Cause he is) so he thinks differently than a normal child his age. =D Anyway, I decided to upload Chapter 1 along with the prologue because I feel the prologue doesn't give as much insight into the story as chapter 1 does._

The rating will probably go up. The pairings for this story is on a wait and see kind of thing.

_Disclaimer:__ I don't own any part of Final Fantasy X or X-2. I make no profit from writing this. It's purely for shits and giggles. _

* * *

**Prologue**

* * *

Sometimes it sucks living here. This is something I find myself musing about as I sit upon the steel roof of Home, watching the crimson son sink behind the sand dunes. For one thing, the days are torturously hot and the nights aren't much better, at least in the summer time anyway. During any other season the days are still tortuously hot, but then the nights are ridiculously cold.

For another reason, both food and water are hard to come by. No trading ships come here so it makes it even harder for us Al Bhed to get food and other materials from the mainland. I don't know why this is. I've asked my mother this question before and she just said that it's difficult for ships to come in. I have a feeling that she isn't telling the truth. Before my old man died, he would take me fishing just off the coast of Bikanel and we've never had a problem bringing the ship in.

So, after I received my mother's oh-so helpful answer, I went to Cid. He and my father were friends so naturally, Cid is somewhat of a family friend. Anyway, his answer wasn't much better. Actually he didn't really give me an answer. He just started mumbling to himself about "blasted Yevonites," whatever that is, and walked away. Then again, I don't know what I was thinking when I asked him. Cid giving a more helpful answer than my mother is like expecting his son to become a famous mathematician. In other words- never gonna happen.

In order to make these hard living conditions bearable, patrols set out twice a month with all kinds of machina in order to hunt and gather- whatever they can, anyway- and retrieve water from some of the oasis' that are on this wasteland. Not much we can do about the weather, but thankfully our machina help out with that. I don't know where we would be without air conditioning to keep the inside of Home cool.

If families are running low on materials or if they're just sick of shoving chocobo meat down their throats, then they head down to the docks and get on a ship for the mainland. This doesn't happen very often, though- four, maybe three times a year. Sadly, I never get to go on these trips. Mother always has some kind of a reason why I can't go every time I ask.

It pisses me off. I'm sick of seeing nothing but sand and pebbles. I want to see what life is like off this sandbox we call an island. I want to know what grass feels like. I want to see trees tall enough to shade whole areas- not like the scraggly, thin shrubs we have here, which are the closest things to trees that we have.

I feel a frown form on my face. For some reason thinking about leaving the island makes me think of my father. It has only been a week since his death and I have been trying to do my best to let it go. After we got word about Sin's attack on his boat, my mother did not shed a tear. I don't want to be the only one who does.

I can't even give a reason why his death bothers me the way it does. He and I were never especially close. He took me fishing a couple times and taught me a thing or two about machina. And I guess he showed me some desert survival skills, how to pick locks, how to shoot a gun and that a bright, confident smile can get you a lot in life… at least while I'm young anyway.

I feel my heart lurch in my chest followed by the feeling of tears streaming down my cheeks. The liquid is cool compared to the heat around me. I shake my head, determined to keep any others at bay. He would not want me to blubber over him. If he were here, he'd say, "Get up off your ass, boy, and get some work done. Crying ain't gonna bring me back."

"_Fryd'lry tueh'?"_ I hear a chipper voice ask from behind me.  
(What'cha doin'?)

I turn my head to see Cid's only daughter skipping toward me. Rikku. She's four years old- a year younger than me. I can't say I've talked to her all that much before. I don't have a clue why she'd be up here let alone why she'd want to talk to me.

I quickly brush away any tears that linger on my face.

"_Zicd ceddehk_," I reply.  
(Just sitting.)

Rikku crouches down beside me, balancing on the balls of her feet. She turns her head to beam at me. As her eyes linger on my face I begin to wonder if I was able to wipe off all signs of my tears. She suddenly frowns, which tells me that I didn't.

"_E raynt ypuid fryd rybbahat… fedr ouin tyt yht ymm. E's cunno_."  
(I heard about what happened… with your dad and all. I'm sorry.)

I advert my eyes from her face and set my attention back on the sunset. This isn't really something I want to talk about right now.

"_E ghuf ruf oui vaam, oui ghuf. Ed cilgc. So susso teat mycd oayn_."  
(I know how you feel, you know. It sucks. My mommy died last year.)

This grabs my attention. I could've sworn my dad told me about that once. I begin combing through my memory bank, trying to find the time when I was informed of this. I came up empty.

"_E cdemm secc ran… pid E bnuseca ed kadc aycean. Oui'mm pa ug_," she says, her bright smile returning. I try to return her smile, but it crumbles away in seconds.

(I still miss her… but I promise it gets easier. You'll be ok.)

Rikku moved from her crouch into a sitting position. She pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them.

"_Yhofyo, E zicd fyhdat du damm oui dryd… oui lyh… oui ghuf… dymg du sa ev oui fyhd du_." She is staring down at the metal surface beneath are bodies. In the sun, I can see red creeping up to color her cheeks. "_E fuimth'd seht ed yd ymm_."

(Anyway, I just wanted to tell you that… you can… you know… talk to me if you want to.) (I wouldn't mind it at all.)

Oddly, I can't be bothered to fight away the smile that now spreads itself across my face. I know I'm not the only one here who has lost someone. Almost everyone here has, but I feel a kind of warmth inside me knowing that I now have Rikku to turn to. There are only a handful of kids around here that are around the same age as Rikku and I. Apart from our age group there are a few toddlers and then the next youngest generation is at least three years ahead. Not much to talk about with them.

"_Oui ryja bnaddo aoac. Tet oui ghuf dryd_?" She asks me, sounding genuinely curious.  
(You have pretty eyes. Did you know that?)

"_Drao'na zicd dra cysa yc ajanouha amca'c ynah'd drao_?" Rikku shook her head vigorously, sending her golden locks swishing roughly in the air.  
(They're just the same as everyone else's aren't they?)

"Nah-uh!" She denies. "_Oui ryja mekrd-knaah aoac- mega ouin sudran. Drao'na tevvanahd. Ajanouha amca ryc aoac mega seha-- Drec cryta uv knaah._" She emphasizes her point by pointing to her eye as if I needed some direction as to where it is.

(You have light-green eyes- like your mother. They're different. Everyone else has eyes like mine-- This shade of green.)

I guess I can't argue with her. Instead of being born with the generic emerald-green eyes that almost all Al Bhed have, I had inherited my mother's sea-green eyes, which happen to be a rare color to us Al Bhed. There is only a handful of other Al Bhed with my eyes.

Now that I think about it, I'm quite proud of my eyes. One way that they are different is that the color seems to bounce back and forth between somewhat of a blue color to light, pale-green. It all depends on what kind of light hits them. The brighter the light is- like direct sunlight- the paler and greener they look. Although, florescent lighting tends make them look blue for some reason. But since I'm in the desert and _always_ under direct sunlight, they stay pale green for the most part.

My eyes are the only thing that I had inherited from my mother. The rest of my appearance is my old man entirely. From the exact same smile right down to the nearly-invisible freckles on my nose. In fact, if it wasn't for the eyes, I don't think anyone would be able to tell that my mother is who she is.

Unlike the tanned skin and yellow hair that my old man and I share, she has milky-white pale skin that burns easily in the sun and fine, light-gold hair that almost looks silver. Her hair falls straight down her back like silk. I don't think I've ever seen a knot in it.

My old man always used one word to describe my mother: Elegance. As loud, bold, and rash as my father was, my mother is the complete opposite. She never shouts and she's _always_ polite and rational. She also carries herself with a poise that no one can help but respect. She tries to teach me these virtues, but I guess you just can't beat genetics. I pretty much inherited my father's personality as well… although I guess my mother's side kind of watered it down a bit.

"_Fa ryjah'd naymmo _sad_ pavuna ryja fa_?" Rikku asks, breaking me from my reverie. I silently take note at how quickly Rikku was able to distract me from my sad state. Once again, I feel warmth and happiness slowly rise in my chest. "_E's Rikku_!" she says enthusiastically, her smile growing evermore brighter.

(We haven't really _met_ before have we?) (I'm Rikku!)

"_Gippal_," I answer.

"_Famm, Gippal_," She hopped up to her feat in one swift motion. "_E ghuf fryd'mm lraan oui ib. E fyc kuhhy ku cruud cbedpymmc yd so pnudran. Fyhd du lusa_?"  
(Well, Gippal) (I know what'll cheer you up. I was gonna go shoot spitballs at my brother. Want to come?)

"_Tu E_?" I blurt out before I can think otherwise. Excitement swells in my chest to squash out the sadness that was there moments ago. I have yet to pass up an opportunity to irritate Rikku's brother. Funny how I met him long before Rikku.

(Do I?)

"_E'mm nyla oy_!" She cheerfully declares as she hops up and down on one foot. She then turned toward the iron door that leads back down inside Home and quickly broke into a combination of a run and a skip.

(I'll race ya!)

Before I climb to my feet to give chase, I take one last glance back at the setting sun.

The sky is red now. I think I'll always remember this sunset. Moments ago I walked out here feeling miserable, but now I leave here feeling happy again. As stupid as it sounds, it's kind of like the red sky reached down and placed Rikku beside me to help me forget my sadness.

The crimson sky erased my troubles.

* * *

_A/N:__ So that was the prologue. Sorry about that little ramble about Gippal's eyes. I'm trying to make this story as authentic as I can and in the game, there are so many moments when Gippal's eye color changes. So I thought I'd go with it and just blame it on whatever kind of light he's standing under. Lots of people have eyes like that. _

_Anyway, again I'd love to hear opinions on how I should translate the Al Bhed or if I should at all. Send in your praise, criticism, and flames. I read and love them all!_


	2. Chapter I: Bad Idea

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_A/N: Just letting you all know that this chapter takes place one year after the p__rologue. Enjoy._

_Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Final Fantasy X or X-2. I make no profit from writing this. This story is purely for shits and giggles._

* * *

**Chapter I: Bad Idea

* * *

**

"_Rikku, fyga ib_!" My hand is on her shoulder, shaking her vigorously.  
(Rikku, wake up!)

"_Ku yfyo, Gippal_," she moans sleepily, turning herself away from me.  
(Go away, Gippal.)

"_Ah, l'suh! Fa ryja du ku pavuna dra udranc fyga ib! Oui bnusecat sa dryd oui't lusa fedr sa_." My voice came out whinier than I meant it to.  
(Ah, c'mon! We have to go before the others wake up! You promised me that you'd come with me.)

"_Fryd desa ec ed_?" She groans, turning her head to face me. Her eyes are barely half opened.  
(What time is it?)

"4:15," I reply, putting on my best smile in the hopes that it would somewhat sooth this news that I know she won't want to hear. Rikku is by no means a morning person. This tactic usually works.

A revolted sound erupts from her throat. Well it usually works anyway.

"_Oui'na cu yhhuoehk! Ruf't oui ajah kad eh rana? Teth'd bubc mulg dra tuun_?" I can't help but scoff at her words. Like any lock could keep me out.  
(You're so annoying! How'd you even get in here? Didn't pops lock the door?)

"_Bmayca, ouin tyt kyja ib uh mulgehk sa uid suhdrc yku. Huf l'suh, fygao, fygao_!"  
(Please, your dad gave up on locking me out months ago. Now c'mon, wakey, wakey!)

Rikku rolls her eyes at me.

"_Fa luimt kad eh cu silr dnuipma ev fa'na lyikrd. Oui ghuf fa'na hud ymmufat du mayja Rusa fedruid cusauha fedr ic_." I feel my smile grow wider. Rikku is only stalling now, but still giving in all the same. I love winning.  
(We could get in so much trouble if we're caught. You know we're not allowed to leave Home without someone with us.)

"_Hu uha'c muugehk_." I take care to make my tone mischievous yet inviting- like dangling a piece of celery in front of a chocobo. Tempt it in and then bring the axe down. This method always seems to work with Rikku- hence how I've always been successful in dragging her into almost everything I do. "_Tuh'd funno. Uhla fa lusa pylg fedr y pyk vimm uv machina byndc drana'mm pa hu fyo uin vumgc lyh cdyo syt_."  
(No one's looking.) (Don't worry. Once we come back with a bag full of machina parts there'll be no way our folks can stay mad.)

Rikku's eyes shift up to the ceiling. She is silent as she contemplates my words.

"_Ev oui lusa fedr sa, oui lyh lusa ujan vun mihlr yht tehhan ajano hekrd vun y faag_," I offer in an attempt to sway her thoughts in my favor.  
(If you come with me, you can come over for lunch _and_ dinner every night for a week.)

I see her eyes light up as she absorbs this. It's common knowledge that Cid's cooking skills leave a lot to be desired. Rikku usually ends up cooking for her father and brother. My mother, on the other hand, has an uncanny ability to make just about anything taste good.

"_Y suhdr_," she presses, leaving no room for negotiation.  
(A month.)

"_Taym_," I reply without hesitation. "_Huf kad ib! Fa'na pinhehk tyomekrd_!"  
(Deal.) (Now get up! We're burning daylight!)

"_Tyomekrd rych'd ajah cdyndat oad_," she grumbles to herself as she roughly throws the blankets away and tosses her legs over the edge of the bed.  
(Daylight hasn't even started yet.)

***

"_Ur cdub muugehk cu knisbo_," Rikku complains at my expression.  
(Oh stop looking so grumpy.)

"_E fuimth'd pa vaamehk cu knisbo ev _cusaputo_ teth'd ryja du cbaht ran cfaad desa funnoehk ypuid ran ybbaynyhla. Fa'na raytehk uid eh dra cyht, Rikku-- hud kuehk du y fattehk_." She noticeably shrinks away from me when I turn to glower at her.  
(I wouldn't be feeling so grumpy if _somebody _didn't have to spend her sweet time worrying about her appearance. We're heading out in the sand, Rikku-- not going to a wedding.)

We had just rounded the corner for the last corridor that contains any housing. Once we get beyond this last stretch, the risk of getting caught will be pretty much diminished. Any Al Bhed that are up at this time in the morning are all working in the shops which are located on a whole other wing of Home. So it's all just a matter of walking quietly… and keeping the voice of a certain Al Bhed girl at a low volume.

"_E's hud dryd tnaccat ib!_" she snaps. A pout is forming on her face as she directs her eyes onto the steel flooring, intent on avoiding my glare.  
(I'm not that dressed up!)

I was just able to bite my tongue in order to blockade the retort that threatened to fly from my lips. Anything I say will only further our conversation. Her voice will undoubtedly rise and someone will wake up. Instead, I settle on rolling my eyes at this annoying creature beside me.

A feeling of relief floods through me when we finally make it into the entryway and up to the giant, steel, front door of Home. I am eyeing the only obstacle left in our path. It is the circular valve that acts as the doorknob for this door. It reminds me of a ships helm. It looks just like one and works the same way- by grabbing the various spokes that stick out and turn it like a wheel. Turn it right to unlatch the door and left to lock it.

That is easier said than done because the adults have taken care to never oil it, making it very hard for kids like Rikku and I to turn it in order to get outside unsupervised. It takes a great deal of strength in order to turn it. Strength that Rikku and I don't have yet. But together…

"_Rikku, ramb sa_," I say as I allow my backpack to drop to the floor.  
(Rikku, help me.)

I stand up on my toes and stretch my hands up above my head so that my fingers can enclose around the spokes of the wheel. I am just able to latch on to the spokes that are just above the middle point of the valve.

Rikku complies, but she has to jump in order to add her tiny hands to the wheel. Her fingers are barely long enough to wrap completely around the spokes. Her feet dangle off the ground as she hangs on.

"_Uh dra luihd uv drnaa_!" she says in a low, determined voice, fixing her eyes on me. Clearly her fears of getting caught have been forgotten. "_Uha_."  
(On the count of three!) (One.)

"_Dfu_," I add.  
(Two.)

"_Drnaa!_" We say in unison as we throw our weight to the right at the same time.  
(Three!)

The valve groans traitorously as the old metal slowly scrapes against each other. The sound is almost enough to make me recoil and run for cover in fear that someone would hear the noise. Rikku, however, remains dangling from the spokes, seemingly undeterred by the sound.

After nearly a minute goes by, our hands break away from the metal to rest. In this moment I'm thankful for the gloves that I wear over my hands. Otherwise I imagine that the palms of my hands would by raw from pulling on the metal.

We take a moment to rest the muscles in our arms and hands. I watch as Rikku rotates her shoulders, feeling the need to stretch them after dangling for that time. Her thin arms make the motion of a pinwheel as they circle the air at her sides.

"_Nayto vun nuiht dfu?_" I ask, my hands already stretching above my head to grip the steel spokes once again.  
(Ready for round two?)

"_Oui pad'lry!_" is her enthusiastic reply. She flashes me a bright smile before, once again, making a jump to wrap her fingers around the spokes. The second that she successfully dangled her feet above the floor, I pulled. The metal groans again, but I ignore it this time.  
(You bet'cha!)

Finally, after what seemed like hours of pulling, our efforts are rewarded by the sound of the latches clunking out of their sockets. Rikku and I release the valve and, without hesitation, pushed our shoulders against the giant door, successfully shoving it outward. We stop pushing when a gap is made that is just big enough for our bodies to fit through. Rikku and I collected our empty backpacks that we had deposited on the floor and snaked out through the gap and into the morning desert air.

After shoving the door shut and, once again, combining our efforts to turn the outside valve to lock the door, Rikku and I head off into the desert.

The air was comfortable and cool at first as we walked. It is an echo from the temperature of the cold night that is now being tainted by the hot rising sun. As we settled down at our favorite digging site, the air had heated considerably.

Despite the heat, the day for digging could not be better. With a gentle breeze offering us some welcome relief from the heat I found it much easier to keep digging without resting. And it showed. I had already uncovered eight pieces of ancient machina in just the course of three hours. Rikku had dug up six parts as well as a handful of nuts and bolts.

I could feel the hours fly by as we dug through the sifting sands. After the fourth hour had gone by, Rikku had decided that she would rather bury her toes in the sand and enjoy the gentle breezes. Normally, I'd probably feel a little suspicious at the unusual consistency of the breeze that kept blowing, but right now I'm far too distracted by the sand that covers all kinds of precious machina to care.

That is, until a particularly strong wind picked up, blowing a cloud of sand into my eyes and effectively causing Rikku's hair to whip around her face. My hands immediately went to my eyes to try and rub out the invasive particles. That's when I heard a gasp erupt from Rikku's throat, which caused me to yank my hands away from my tender eyes. I squinted through my now watery vision for the source of Rikku's alarm.

"_Gippal, muug!_" she cried, pointing her finger toward the west.  
(Gippal, look!)

I followed her finger and I felt my heart suddenly slam against my chest in reaction to my sudden fear. Off in the distance, my eyes settle on a vast, thick cloud of sand swirling in the atmosphere. We had been betrayed by the gentle breezes that were welcomingly caressing our skin and keeping the heat at bay. It had deceived and blinded us to what was coming.

_"Ur hu…"_ I breathe. I could hear the dread laced in my voice.  
(Oh no…)

_"Cyhtcduns!"_ Rikku cried out, panic stricken.  
(Sandstorm!)

The two of us leapt to our feet in an instant. We quickly collected our backpacks, heavy with machina parts, and took off running for the nearest cavern that we know of.

As we plowed our way through the sandy dunes, I feel the strain of the muscles in my legs. The sand absorbed the impact of our feet, literally sucking away any leverage that we hoped to obtain in order to run faster. Our heavy backpacks that we wear slung over our shoulders are not helping the matter much either.

I can feel the wind quickly starting to grow stronger and stronger all around us. I then hear a small moan of pain escape from Rikku's lips. I'm tempted to do the same as the wind whipped up sand into my eyes, but I suppress that urge and force my eyes to stay open.

At long last, our destination is within our sights.

"_Rinno, fa'na ymsucd drana!"_ I shout to her over the now roaring wind.  
(Hurry, we're almost there!)

Rikku does not answer me. She is too focused on keeping her feet moving at a quick pace through the thick sand.

We continued to fight through our exhaustion. I could feel my muscles protesting as I pushed them in an attempt for more speed. I keep reminding myself that each exhaustive step is taking us closer and closer to shelter.

At last, we dashed in through the opening of the cavern. Our legs finally buckle and the two of us collapse on the sandy floor, completely winded and exhausted. Sand clots to our sweaty skin and our eyes burn with irritation from it as well. However, the two of us choose to ignore it for now. We are too tired to care about the irritation.

Many minutes pass while Rikku and I remain lying on the cave floor. It wasn't until my heart rate slowed down when I realized just how much my eyes sting. I push myself off the floor to sit up. I then untied my canteen from my waist and proceeded to flush the sand out of my eyes. Once I felt that I'd gotten the last of it out, I tipped my head back and allowed the water to wet my dry throat.

_"Famm, ed muugc mega fa'na cdilg rana vun y meddma frema ihdem dra cduns teac yfyo,"_ Rikku said as she too set to work on flushing sand out of her own eyes.  
(Well, it looks like we're stuck here for a little while until the storm dies away.)

_"Cu huf fryd yna fa kuhhy tu?"_ she inquired once her eyes were sand free.  
(So now what are we gonna do?)

_"E kiacc ced rana yht fyed uid dra cduns,"_ is my only answer.  
(I guess sit here and wait out the storm.)

Rikku sighs exasperatedly at my answer, but gives no sign of argument. After growing up in the desert, she and I both know that it's never a smart idea to go out in a sandstorm no matter how familiar you are with the area. It is the most common reason why so many people get lost and end up dying from dehydration and/or heat exhaustion.

_"Ur vydran ec kuehk du pa cu syt. Fa ghaf paddan dryh du lusa uid ymuha,"_ Rikku groaned as she leaned herself back against the cave wall, enjoying its coolness.  
(Oh father is going to be so mad. We knew better than to come out alone.)

I lay myself back down on the cave floor, folding my arms behind my head. _"Ah, Rikku tuh'd funno ypuid ed. Ajanodrehk'c kuhhy pa veha."  
_(Ah, Rikku don't worry about it. Everything will be fine.)

My words cause Rikku to scowl at me. _"Vihho, ed caasc dryd ajano desa oui cyo dryd, ed sayhc dnuipma vun sa."  
_(Funny, it seems that every time you say that, it means trouble for me.)

I feel the corners of my mouth turn up into a grin. I can't deny that my friend does have a point, but can I really be blamed for her actions? It's not like I hold a gun to her head and demand that she follows me and takes part in what I do. She _chooses_ to.

_"Famm, fryd'ja fa maynhat?"_ I ask, my eyes shifting onto Rikku. She, in turn, raises an eyebrow at me.  
(Well, what've we learned?)

_"Fryd tu oui sayh 'fryd ryja fa maynhat?' E kiacc du mecdah du uin bynahdc."_ This time a loud bark of laughter flies from my throat.  
(What do you mean 'what have we learned?' I guess to listen to our parents.)

_"Fnuhk,"_ is my reply.  
(Wrong.)

_"Fnuhk?"  
_(Wrong?)

_"Oib. Oui cruimt ryja maynhat po huf hud du mecdah du sa frah E cyo dryd. Ouin ufh vyimd vun tuehk ed."_ I say this as if it were the most obvious thing in world. Well it is, isn't it?  
(Yup. You should have learned by now not to listen to me when I say that. Your own fault for doing it.)

_"Ur, Gippal, oui'na cilr y…"_ she paused for a moment, I guess to contemplate on exactly what I am. _"Pek sayhea."  
_(Oh, Gippal, you're such a…) (Big meanie.)

I place my hand over my heart and gave Rikku a look of feigned heartbreak as if her statement had physically harmed me. _"Fru, sa? Nah, ed luimth'd pa. Oui kuddy pa drehgehk uv cusauha amca." _I'm giving her my brightest smile as I finish.

(Who, me? Nah, it couldn't be. You gotta be thinking of someone else.)

Rikku seems to find the humor in my words because a small smile begins to form on her features. The sight of it makes me feel good. I like making people smile in tense situations like this. It is a knack that I've been told that my father once possessed. Normally at a time like this, people would be concerned with whether or not there are fiends in the cave, but doing so would only make Rikku panic. For now, she just needs to relax because as soon as the sandstorm ends, we will have to hurry back to Home as fast as our legs can carry us.

As dangerous as sandstorms are, the wind and the disorientation that it brings are not the worst part of them. The worst part comes after the storm has past because that's when the bird-like fiends called Aquila flock to pick off the poor, lost and confused souls that were not able to find shelter from the storm.

One Aquila can hardly be considered dangerous, but a whole flock of them could rid a full-grown man of his organs in minutes. They latch onto the soft underbelly of a creature and claw it open with their razor-sharp talons before picking their organs out with their long, sharp beaks. Two Al Bhed children out by themselves are more than fair game to these creatures.

The thought of these monstrous birds now plague my thoughts and by the look on Rikku's face, they are on her mind as well. My father always told me that after waiting out a sandstorm, hurry back home as fast as I can. The trick is to not appear slow or tired. If they see that their target is still strong and lively there is a better chance of them losing interest in the prey… most of the time anyway.

A grimace begins to form over my face as this thought really starts to sink in. I advert me eyes off of Rikku and onto the cave ceiling. Here we are, sitting in a cave contemplating just how we are going to make it back alive and it's all my fault. I was the one to think up this _brilliant_ idea and now Rikku might have to pay for my own stupidity.

_"Gippal?"_ I hear Rikku's voice.

At that second, I hear my father's words echo in my head. _"Panicking will not get you anywhere."_

He's right. Panicking is pointless. Panicking is what will cause one's life to expire prematurely because it inhibits the mind from thinking clearly. I can't let Rikku see the nervousness that I'm feeling. I have to mask it- pretend everything is just peachy.

I quickly stamp on one of my cocky smiles before shifting my eyes back onto my companion.

_"Oui'na hud funneat, yna oui?"_ she asks me. My smile almost falters.  
(You're not worried, are you?)

_"Hyr, drec'mm pa ayco. Ymm fa ryja du tu ec nih pylg du Rusa yc cuuh yc dra cduns byccac. Fa'na uhmo ypuid y sema yfyo. Fa'mm pa veha,"_ I change my cocky smile into one of reassurance in the hopes that it will add emphasize to my words. Rikku does not return my smile this time and this effectively causes me to lose control of my smile, allowing it to slide right off my face.  
(Nah, this'll be easy. All we have to do is run back to Home as soon as the storm passes. We're only about a mile away. We'll be fine.)

_"Fryd rybbahat du hud mecdahehk du oui frah oui cyo, 'fa'mm pa veha?'"  
_(What happened to not listening to you when you say, "we'll be fine?")

"_Hu, E cyet tuh'd mecdah du sa frah E cyo_ 'ajanodrehk femm pa veha.'_ E teth'd cyo '_ajanodrehk.'_ E cyet_ 'fa'mm.'_ Upjeuicmo, hud ajanodrehk lyh pa veha. Hud ahdenamo yhofyo. Vun aqysbma, fa'mm pa veha, pid cusa buun cuim eh Cbeny sekrd ryja y pik ehvacdydeuh nekrd huf. Dryd'c hud jano veha, ec ed?"_ I rambled. Thankfully, Rikku has yet to catch on to the fact that I tend to do that when I'm feeling uneasy about something. But at least my rambling did some good. It caused Rikku's smile to return.  
(No, I said don't listen to me when I say '_everything will be fine.' _I didn't say '_everything_.' I said '_we'll_.' Obviously, not everything can be fine. Not entirely anyway. For example, we'll be fine, but some poor soul in Spira might have a bug infestation right now. That's not very fine, is it?)

_"Yhofyo, ed muugc mega dra cduns'c byccehk huf. Yna oui nayto?"_ I ask as I hoist my backpack up off the floor and slung it over my shoulder.  
(Anyway, it looks like the storm's passing now. Are you ready?)

Rikku nodded numbly in reply before she too lifted her backpack, but instead of slinging it over her shoulder, she held the strap tightly in her hand. Apparently, her smile was just as much a mask as mine is.

_"Rana kuac hudrehk,"_ she said nervously.  
(Here goes nothing.)

I move to stand beside her and, together, we slowly walked the short distance to the opening of the cave. Cautiously, we peek out of the cave's entrance to scan the sky for any sign of the winged beasts. Thankfully, we don't see any. So far so good.

_"Fa'na cdemm kuhhy ryja du suja ed. Zicd 'lyica fa tuh'd caa dras tuach'd sayh drao'na hud ynuiht, nekrd?"_ Rikku's grip on her backpack strap tightened. She then curtly nods her head in response.  
(We're still gonna have to move it. Just 'cause we don't see them doesn't mean they're not around, right?)

"Ok," I sigh. _"Nayto? Ku!"  
_(Ready? Go!)

The two of us dash out of the cave and tore off into the direction of Home. It took only seconds for me to once again feel the muscles in my legs strain as the sand absorbed my feet upon every step. The merciless sun above us is already causing drops of sweat to streak trails down our faces. I feel myself becoming lightheaded as a result of my body temperature skyrocketing, but I will myself to press on. I know that it won't be long until Home is within our sights.

I refuse to die out in the sand.

_"L'suh, Gippal! Ymsucd drana!"_ Rikku, who is running just a few strides ahead, called over her shoulder.  
(C'mon, Gippal! Almost there!)

She's always been a faster runner than me.

Suddenly, a shrill cry echoes on the wind, effectively sending a chill along my heated skin. The sound pierces not only my ears, but straight to my heart as well.

I'm now calling upon the strength of every muscle in my legs. I almost feel like verbally pleading to them to help me run faster. For that shrill cry was nothing less than a call of death. We had been spotted.

Whether my legs responded to my silent pleads or not, I can't be sure because it won't make a difference now. This is because Aquila are now diving-bombing all around us. Some collided stupidly into the sand while others set to work at clawing at our flesh.

Thankfully, our arms pumping back and forth seem to be making it hard for the fiends to claw at our stomachs. They then went to claw at our backs but the only thing that tore off of me was the material of my backpack. That is, until one was smart enough to bring its sharp talons across my poorly protected upper arm, sending searing pain to shoot through my body. My mind is racing much too fast too allow me to see any blood, but I know it's there. I know that it started to ooze almost immediately.

All at once, whatever birds that were bombarding Rikku had abandoned her in favor of me. After all, these fiends pick off the weak and injured. As soon as they smelled the blood from my shoulder they were sent into frenzy.

I can't suppress the howl of pain that ripped out of my throat as they jabbed at me with their beaks and talons all at once. My muscles, which were already tense with dehydration and fatigue, now threaten to lock up on me out of pure fear. I'm now powerless to keep myself from panicking. I don't know where to guard- my face or my stomach. They are going for both.

_"Mayja res ymuha!"_ I hear Rikku scream. That's when I see her heavy backpack come swinging into my vision before colliding into two of the birds at the same time. They fall sprawled out on the sand, unmoving.  
(Leave him alone!)

_"L'suh, Gippal, gaab nihhehk!"_ She screamed. _"Fa'na cu lmuca!"  
_(C'mon, Gippal, keep running) (We're so close!)

My mind is too preoccupied at the moment to manage a response. It is too busy telling my arms to lash out and strike at any and all fiends they can reach.

To my great relief I feel the sand thin out slightly under my feet, a sign that we have just stepped upon ground that has been trampled flat by hundreds of boots over many years. My mind focuses for a moment to allow me to see the steel door of Home just feet from me.

Rikku does not hesitate to jump up and wrap her fingers around the spokes to try to turn the valve. As I watch her do this, horror sweeps through my body, completely washing away any hope I was just feeling seconds ago. The valve outside is even harder to open than inside. This is because the outer one is constantly exposed to the wind blowing sand into its crevasses and gears.

Rikku has no hope of turning it by herself and this time I can't lift a finger to help her. If I try to put my arms up, it will expose my torso, giving the Aquila more than enough time to rid me of my innards. She realizes this as she turns to look at me, her face horror-stricken to see me absolutely covered in the Aquila birds.

I'm only vaguely aware that my arms are flailing in a futile attempt to beat the birds off me.

_"Kad uvv res!"_ Rikku shrieks. Her heavy backpack makes a swing at the birds again.  
(Get off him!)

From underneath the frenzied feathered bodies, I catch brief glimpses of her face between parted wings. Hopelessness and frustration flicker into her eyes. She realizes that if she stays to help keep the birds off me, she won't be able to get the attention of the others.

_"Vydran! Cusaputo, ramb! Ubah ib!"_ Her voice is a shriek of terror on the wind. It sounded slightly muffled to me underneath the plumes of dirty feathers. A bird briefly moves away from my face, allowing me to see her tiny fists pounding on the steel door.  
(Father! Somebody, help! Open up!)

_"Ramb, Vydran! Cusaputo! Ramb! Ur, Gippal!"_ Tears stream down her face as she screams my name.  
(Help, Father! Somebody! Help! Oh, Gippal!)

_"Mayja res ymuha oui cdibet, ikmo pentc!"_ She shouts as she runs back to my side, swinging her backpack again and again, but to no avail. For every bird she knocks away, two more simply replace it.  
(Leave him alone you stupid, ugly birds!)

Hopelessness…

I've never felt anything like this before. I don't like it. The whole situation is hopeless. Even my own limbs are out of my control. They move reflexively to guard the guts my torso carries when I feel one of the birds pinch my skin in its beak.

A flicker of movement shifts like a shadow into my vision. My head turns automatically towards it and that's when I realize that I had left my face totally exposed. My arms do not move fast enough. I can only blink as a long, brown beak darts like an arrow toward my right eye.

Searing pain beyond anything I've ever felt before hit's me like a wrecking ball. My hands come up to push the fiend away. My stomach churns sickeningly as I watch the bird give a tug of its head, dragging my eyeball with it as I shove it away.

The world around me is whirling in a haze of red. My throat is tightening, which is the only indication I have that I'm screaming. The sound isn't even reaching my ears.

The birds have become so heavy. I can't hold their weight anymore. The open wounds all down my left side sting in protest as they come in contact with the hot sand.

_"Gippal!"_ I barely hear Rikku's scream this time. I then see her backpack swinging again.

Suddenly, her cries change. She is now shouting in protest to something. She is screaming,_ "No, no! I won't leave him! I won't!"_

_"Kad ouin cecdan du dra ehvensyno!"_ A gruff voice barked over the frenzied cries of the birds on top of me. That was Cid's voice.  
(Get your sister to the infirmary!)

Thunder rolls in my head. Wait… not thunder… gun shots. I feel the Aquila fall one by one to the sand that is now dotted with my blood.

_"L'suh, puo, ryhk eh drana."_ It's Cid's voice again, much closer this time.  
(C'mon, boy, hang in there.)

Slowly, I open the eyelids of the eye that isn't throbbing with pain. I see Cid's face hovering over me with a grimace on his features. It is now that I realize that I can't feel the hot sand anymore. This is because Cid had picked me up off the ground and is now cradling me in his arms. If I wasn't in so much pain this would probably feel very embarrassing to me.

Weird. He actually looks… worried about me. No, I don't want him to worry over me. That will make everyone else worry. It will make my mother worry.

Oh crap, I'm still in trouble, aren't I?

_"E femm."_ I force a smile as I say those words in a weak voice that I don't recognize.  
(I will.)

_"Suja ouin ryhtc. Mad sa caa ouin aoa,"_ he says in a tone that clearly suggests him making an attempt to sound gentle. Until he had said that, it had not even occurred to me that my hands were glued to my right eye. The feeling of hot blood oozing out between my fingers has now been brought to my attention. I wish it hadn't.  
(Move your hands. Let me see your eye.)

I don't want to move my hands. I can only imagine how gruesome I look. What with a gaping hole where my eye should be and my face smeared with blood. Then again, I doubt Cid is new to sights like this. Hell, he's probably seen worse.

Just before I can comply, I am suddenly hit with an intense feeling of nausea. My head is reeling so badly that it feels like it's about to be twisted off my neck. I can't do anything but watch as my vision starts to cloud over.

_"E haat y satel! Tuh'd oui tyna xied uh sa, get!"_ Cid adds with a growl.  
(I need a medic! Don't you dare quit on me, kid!)

_"E fuh'd,"_ I force my lips to move. I don't know if Cid heard me. I could barely hear me.  
(I won't.)

The harsh desert sun has been blackened out. I see nothing but darkness.

I'm tired. I can feel my body succumbing to its fatigue.

'_I won't quit._'


	3. Chapter II: One Eyed Awakening

_A/N: Here's the next chapter. Upon receiving two awesome reviews I was prompted to get going with this story again. Thank you so much to Dragongirl and DarkenedPetals. Your reviews made this chapter happen!_

_Disclaimer: I own nothing. I make no profit from this. This is purely for shits and giggles._

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**Chapter II: One Eyed Awakening**

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I think my skull is stuffed with cotton. It sure feels that way as my mind begins to gain some awareness. I'm waking up, emerging from a deep sleep, but I don't want to open my eyes yet. I think it's because I'm afraid of what I'll open my eyes to. Will I be in my room, waking up from an awful nightmare? I hope so.

My body feels drained and the bed I'm in is so soft and comfortable. I almost feel content enough to go back to sleep, but I know that won't be possible. My mind is just too boggled to allow me to rest again. Even though my eyes aren't open, I know that I'm not lying in my room like I wished. The lights blaring down on me from the ceiling are much too bright. The lights in my room are always dim- much too dim to see through my eyelids like I can now.

My whole body feels numb. Gingerly, I lift my left index finger, testing to make sure that I can still move. It did. I then try curling my toes and am relieved to feel that they too were all in working order. I make an attempt to bend my knee, but my legs feel stiff and heavy, like there is a brick of lead sitting on them.

Slowly, the numbness in my limbs begins to subside as a result of the muscles having to work again. Now, sharp cold replaces the numbness. After quietly thinking on the places where I feel the cold, I deduce that the cause is from ice packs that sit balanced on my head and throat.

Am I in the infirmary? That can't be good.

Slowly, I force my reluctant eyelids open. Everything flew into my vision in a whirl of color and it took a moment before everything began to focus. I can now confirm my whereabouts to be, as I thought, in the infirmary, which explains the ice packs. I must've been severely overheated after my sprint through the desert.

My thoughts suddenly come to a grinding halt. I recall running through the desert, but I can't remember from what. Only that I was terrified. Rikku's image floats into my mind, reminding me that she had been there too. She is screaming my name in terror in my head.

'_What happened to me?'_ I mentally wonder. My eyes blink reflexively as I ponder this thought. Wait a minute… that didn't feel right.

I blink again which in turn causes my blood to run cold. Something definitely feels off. Experimentally, I blink again. Now I can metaphorically place my finger on what is so strange. For some reason, I can _only_ blink my left eye. Just to be absolutely sure, I blink again and again. There is no mistaking it. I no longer have any use of my right eye whatsoever.

My fatigue is forgotten as I suddenly find the strength to lift my arm. I gingerly touch my right eye. My fingertips come to rest on what feels like bandages wrapped around the right side of my head, covering my right eye.

A chill runs down my spine as horrific memories come flooding into mind.

I remember the talons and the sharp beaks from the Aquila, scratching and pecking at every inch of my flesh that they could reach. I remember making the mistake of removing my hands from my face to protect my gut from the organ stealers. It was then that one took the opportunity to sink its beak right into my eye socket. The shock I felt when I watched that bird gulp my eyeball down its disgusting gullet.

"E uhmo ryja uha aoa huf?" I had not meant to verbally voice this question.  
(_I only have one eye now?_)

I can't deny the wave of fear that begins to set in as I started pondering all sorts of questions. What will life be like with one eye? Will it impair my ability to see or read or… Fayth forbid, work on machina?

Despair begins to rear its ugly head within my chest, taking the place of fear. What if I can't do all the things I love doing anymore? I had such good eyesight. I could find a bolt, no matter how small, in the desert sand with very little effort at all. What if, by only using my left eye from now on, it will become overstrained and eventually go blind while at a young age? Then I definitely won't be able to work on machina anymore. Then what will I do? How can I have any hope of living happily if I can't do the one thing I enjoy most?

"Gippal?" a small voice breaks down the walls of me depressing thoughts. My now lone eye adverts off the ceiling and down to the entrance of the room. Rikku is standing in the doorway, watching me anxiously.

"Oui'na yfyga!" She cries out. Her feet move quickly, bringing her over to my side so that she can fling her arms around me. The pressure of her hug against the swollen wounds that adorn my body causes an involuntary hiss of pain to erupt through my clenched teeth. The sound makes her quickly withdraw her arms. "E's cunno," she whispers while trying to fight away the red that is now coloring her cheeks.  
(You're awake!) (I'm sorry)

"Ed'c ug," I assured.  
(It's ok.)

"Oui fana ycmaab vun cu muhk! Ymsucd dfu tyoc!" She exclaimed. "Ruf tu oui vaam?"  
(You were asleep for so long! Almost two days!) (How do you feel?)

I could not bring myself to answer her question right away because I'm not sure what to tell her. At this point, I feel like crap. Life, as I knew it, is possibly over. I now will spend the rest of my life as a Cyclops. On the other hand, I can imagine what my father would say to me in this situation were he still around. _"No use crying over spilled milk, boy. You've still got another one, don't ya?"_

I smile to myself, oddly feeling better about this situation. I had always been taught to not mope over things for long. Grieve for a short while, but then move on. Life's too short to spend it moping around. What's done is done. It's now time to learn how to be happy again with one eye as I was with two.

"Oayr, E's veha. Ed'mm dyga suna dryh y vaf ujanknufh pentc du dyga _sa_ tufh," I replied, knowing my confident answer will make Rikku feel much more at ease.  
(Yeah, I'm fine. It'll take more than a few overgrown birds to take _me_ down)

Rikku returns my smile, clearly relieved to see that I'm well. Her eyes then shift onto the wrapped side of my head.

"Fryd ypuid ouin-er… aoa?" she asked awkwardly, suddenly finding something interesting on her shoes to stare at. "E raynt ypuid fryd rybbahat du ed yht… E's cu cunno, Gippal."  
(What about your-er… eye?) (I heard about what happened to it and… I'm so sorry, Gippal.)

I simply shrug my shoulders, my silent way of saying: "Oh well."

"E'ja cdemm kud yhudran uha, tuh'd E? Luimt'ja paah funca; E luimt'ja mucd so raynd, un so cdusylr un… famm oui kad dra beldina nekrd?" I decide to cut my sentence short after seeing a sick grimace beginning to appear on Rikku's face at the mention of losing such important bodily organs.  
(I've still got another one, don't I? Could've been worse; I could've lost my heart, or my stomach or… well you get the picture right?)

"Ev E's ibcad ypuid yhodrehk, ed'c dra vyld dryd E ryja du maynh du nyeca so aoapnuf ykyeh." This statement grabs Rikku's attention immediately. She stares at me questioningly.  
(If I'm upset about anything, it's the fact that I have to learn to raise my eyebrow again.)

"Huh?" was all she could think to reply.

"Oayr, E luimt uhmo nyeca so nekrd aoapnuf. Pid huf cehla E'mm pa faynehk yh aoa bydlr ujan ed vun dra nacd uv so meva, baubma fuh'd pa ypma du caa so nekrd aoapnuf jano famm. Cu _huf_ E ryja du maynh du nyeca dra mavd uha," I finish with a heavy sigh, as if learning to work my left eyebrow was the most tedious chore ever imagined.  
(Yeah, I could only raise my right eyebrow. But now since I'll be wearing an eye patch over it for the rest of my life, people won't be able to see my right eyebrow very well. So _now _I have to learn to raise the left one.)

I feel the corners of my mouth pull up into a grin because Rikku is now trying to fight off a smile of her own.

"Dryd'c hud vihho," she said, trying in vain to keep the laughter out of her voice.

(That's not funny.)

***

Much to my dismay, upon release from the infirmary, my mother, Talia, was instructed to keep me in bed as much as possible for two weeks. Apparently, I not only lost my right eye and lot of blood on that unlucky day, but I had also suffered a heat stroke as a result of the strenuous running in that kind of heat. So naturally, my young body requires copious amounts of rest in order to recover. At least that's what the medics said. Unfortunately for me, I felt well rested after only one day of bed rest so the next thirteen days will be nothing short of torture for me.

At least Rikku stops in to visit me on a daily basis. Apparently Cid was furious with her and me for taking off that day without adult supervision. She had told me that after Cid had made sure that I made it safely to the care of the medics he walked straight over to Rikku and embraced her tightly. Then, without a word, walked away and has been completely ignoring her ever since.

Even though she tries to brush this off as nothing, I could tell that this bothers Rikku. From what I gathered from her story, Cid was happy that she was safe, but still angry for what she did. However, he couldn't bring himself to yell at his daughter so, instead, he chose to do something even crueler as a punishment; Act like she's not even around.

I did get some good news from her though which was, other than a few scratches, bruises, and being a little dehydrated, she pretty much escaped the ordeal unscathed. Rikku, on the other hand, is bothered by this. She feels that she pretty much got off scot-free with bumps and bruises while I took the full blunt of our punishment. What with losing an eye as well as copious amounts of blood, suffering from heatstroke, and having to leave the infirmary with nine, long stitched up gashes mostly on my stomach and arms. I keep telling her that I would've never ended up like this had I never suggested that stupid idea in the first place, but it never erases the guilty look on her face.

So, other than the various visits from Rikku, I lay in my bed day after day bored as all hell. So it was evident to anyone with eyes just how glad I was when my two weeks of bed rest were up. I'm also pleased to hear that I can now permanently remove the bandages from my eye.

On the day that my two weeks were officially up, my mother came in to help remove the bandages. She then presented me with a black eye patch. I watch her face as she tries to appear comforting to me as she hands the black piece of leather to me, but I can see through her facade easily. It is clear to me that it is tearing her up to have to give me a gift like this. But that isn't what is making me feel uneasy right now. No, what is bothering me is the fact that my mother will not look me in the face while there is nothing covering my right eye.

"Sudran…" I'm hesitant, not quite sure how to word this question. "Tu oui drehg E's… ikmo huf?"  
(Mother…) (Do you think I'm… ugly now?)

My mother finally meets my gaze. She looks shocked and a little upset by my question.

"Ec dryd fryd oui drehg?" she asks quietly. I suddenly wish that I could take back my question. "Ur, Gippal… E luimt hajan drehg oui ikmo. E ys zicd cyttahat dryd E lyh hu muhkan caa dfu kunkauic aoac yhosuna."  
(Is that what you think?) (Oh, Gippal… I could never think you ugly. I am just saddened that I can no longer see two gorgeous eyes anymore.)

Her answer does not make me feel any better. So she is now disappointed in me. Upon seeing my downcast expression, she cups my cheek in her hand to guide my face up so that our gazes meet.

"Pid oui ghuf… ed zicd kejac oui suna lrynyldan. Ajanouha ynuiht rana ryc dfu hunsym, cfenmo, knaah aoac, pid oui, so cuh, ryja _uha cbaleym_ uha. Ouin aoac ryja ymfyoc paah paddan dryh ajanouha amca'c yht yc oui ghuf, syhgeht ec hud banvald. Cu ed'c uhmo vyen dryd oui ryja uhmo uha uv ouin cbaldylimyn aoac. Udranfeca, oui fuimt pa duu banvald… pid oui femm ymfyoc pa banvald eh so aoac," she soothed, brushing a kiss on my forehead.

(But you know… it just gives you more character. Everyone around here has two normal, swirly, green eyes, but you, my son, have _one_ special one. Your eyes have always been better than everyone else's and as you know, mankind is not perfect. So it's only fair that you have only one of your spectacular eyes. Otherwise, you would be too perfect… but you will always be perfect in my eyes.)

I'm not sure if she is joking or not. Her tone didn't hold any indication that she was. But I don't really care either way. Whether she was serious or not, her words still cause a bright smile to form on my features. Mother always has a way of wording things so that they don't seem so bad to me. I guess it's her way of teaching me to always look for the bright side of things.

"Cu E ryja uhmo uha aoa huf palyica ed'c cbaleym? Yht ryjehk dfu cbaleym aoac fuimt syga ed ihvyen du ajanouha fru uhmo ryc hunsym aoac?"  
(So I have only one eye now because it's special? And having two special eyes would make it unfair to everyone who only has normal eyes?)

My mother smiles at me happily and nods her head in response.

"Bnalecamo."  
(Precisely.)

Even though a week had past since I was released from the confines of my bedroom, mother still made sure to put a limit on the things I could do. I made sure to wear my eye patch everyday, but I still can't go outside of Home. Mother said that the eye patch would not offer much in protection from the sandy wind, which would irritate the still tender, healing skin underneath. I can't really wear goggles either like everyone else anymore because the lenses are very uncomfortable over my empty eye socket.

One thing that I did start making a habit of doing for entertainment was exploring how things had changed now that I no longer have the use of two eyes. I spent hours wondering the various corridors of Home, searching for any changes I would have to make while maneuvering around.

For the first two days it felt like I was only using half of my face to peek around around a corner; like there was a constant wall obscuring vision from my right eye, but I eventually quit noticing it. I also had to develop the habit of taking in my surroundings more fully with my left eye. That required me to turn my head more than I normally would in order to see everything. I never realized just how much a human really uses both eyes to take _everything_ in. I think I counted up to twenty-six times that I bumped into something that was too far into my right side for me to see without turning my head. That got irritating fast and it didn't help that Rikku wouldn't bother to hold back her laughter whenever she saw it happen. Although, if she was feeling nice enough, she would sometimes grab the sleeve of my shirt and tow me off the path of an object if she saw that I had yet to notice it. That got irritating after a little while too.

Another annoying adjustment I had to make was getting use to _only _looking over my left shoulder considering I can't see anything by looking over my right. I'm slowly getting better at it, but every now and again I'd hear someone call my name from behind and I would reflexively turn my head to the right. Then I'd have to embarrassingly correct myself by quickly turning my head the other way.

So, other than learning to function with diminished peripheral vision, my life had become pretty uneventful and it's quickly starting to drive me crazy with boredom. But for once, luck smiled on me one night. While I lay in bed trying to fall asleep, I hear footsteps walk softly past my bedroom door. Knowing that they could only be from one person, I kicked the sheets off of me and hurried to my bedroom door to investigate. Upon opening it, I see my mother walking quietly toward our front door.

"Sudran, frana yna oui kuehk?" I call out just as she had her hand on the doorknob.  
(Mother, where are you going?)

"Ur, Gippal, fro ynah'd oui ycmaab?" she asked almost sternly as she turned to face me.  
(Oh, Gippal, why aren't you asleep?)

"Fro fanah'd oui kuehk du cyo kuutpoa?" I counter.  
(Why weren't you going to say goodbye?)

She sighs before removing her hand from the doorknob. Her feet go into motion as she crosses the entryway of our dorm to stand in front of me. She then crouches down in order to get eye level with me.

"E mavd oui y huda. E bmyh uh paehk pylg cusadesa dusunnuf yvdanhuuh. E haat du dyga dra vanno du Luca palyica fa yna muf uh cibbmeac." I feel my face light up as this sinks in.  
(I left you a note. I plan on being back sometime tomorrow afternoon. I need to take the ferry to Luca because we are low on supplies.)

"Lyh E lusa duu?" I ask her, unable to keep the eagerness out of my voice. I had never been off the island before except for the few occasions my father took me fishing, but we never left the coastline. For some reason, adults tend to not take their children with them when they leave Bikanel. I never learned why. Rikku and I always assumed that it was because of Sin, but just three weeks ago a new Calm had started. Sin is gona again. What reason could she have to say no now?  
(Can I come too?)

Mother looks at me thoughtfully for a moment, contemplating my question. I don't even know why I asked if I could go. Every time I've asked her before I've always been turned down. I guess I can't help but hope that maybe next time will be different. As I meet her gaze, I silently remind myself not to get my hopes up.

"Ymnekrd drah." I quickly had to shut my mouth after it had fallen open in a gape.  
(Alright then.)

"N-naymmo? E lyh ku?" Oh please don't be joking. I still can't believe what I'd heard. I feel my heart give a jump of excitement when mother nodded, confirming what I'd heard to be true.  
(R-really? I can go?)

"E cibbuca ed fuimth'd pa vyen uv sa du caht oui pylg du pat huf."  
(I suppose it wouldn't be fair of me to send you back to bed now.)

'_Oh please, it's not like you haven't done it before.'_ I'm careful not to voice my thoughts.

"Oac, oui lyh lusa," she confirmed with a smile. But quickly, that smile faded and her expression hardened. "Pid oui _sicd _vummuf drnaa nimac. Tu E ryja ouin funt?"  
(Yes, you can come.) (But you _must_ follow three rules. Do I have your word?)

My head nods vigorously. I can't remember ever feeling more excited than I am now. The thought of finally venturing into a new world…

"Nima hispan uha," she began. "Oui sicd navnyeh vnus cbaygehk uin myhkiyka. Tu oui ihtancdyht sa, Gippal? Ev yhouha dymgc du oui, oui _sicd_ cbayg Spiran."  
(Rule number one.) (You must refrain from speaking our language. Do you understand me, Gippal? If anyone talks to you, you _must_ speak Spiran.)

"No problem!" I confirm, putting emphasis on my response by switching to Spiran. Mother never quite learned to speak Spiran, but she must've understood because she felt content enough to continue.

"Nima hispan dfu," she went on. "Oui yna du cdyo po so ceta yd ymm desac, ihmacc E cyo udranfeca."  
(Rule number two.) (You are to stay by my side at all times, unless I say otherwise.)

"E lyh tu dryd," I reply.  
(I can do that.)

"Yht nima hispan drnaa," she continued, extracting a pair of goggles from her coat pocket. "Ed ec esbanydeja dryd oui fayn draca kukkmac yd ymm desac. Oui yna _hud_ du nasuja dras ihdem fa syga ed pylg du dra ecmyht. Tu E syga socamv lmayn?"  
(And rule number three.) (It is imperative that you wear these goggles at all times. You are _not_ to remove them until we make it back to the island. Do I make myself clear?)

"Lnocdym!" I exclaim.  
(Crystal!)

"Ymnekrd drah, rinno ib yht kad tnaccat. Riyamlu bmyhc uh caddehk cyem eh drnaa ruinc."  
(Alright then, hurry up and get dressed. Riyamlu plans on setting sail in three hours.)

Riyamlu is the Captain-- at least if Cid isn't on board-- of one of the ships that we Al Bhed personally use to leave Bikanel Island. Since no other ships come to Bikanel, we have to leave on Riyamlu's ship if we want to go to places like Luca or Kilika or anywhere else to buy food and other supplies.

I hurry back to my room without missing a beat. Quickly, I replace the pajamas I'm wearing with clothes in record time. I then force my boots onto me feet so vigorously that it's a wonder that my feet didn't just push right through the bottoms. I then hurry over to the closet to dig out a leather bag that I imagine will be filled with souvenirs by the time we returned. I complete my outfit of poorly matched clothes with my eye patch which was sitting on top of my dresser.

"E's nayto!" I call out as I fling myself through my bedroom door and sprinted over to my mother whom I found standing patiently at the front door.  
(I'm ready!)

She quickly inspects my attire with a smirk on her lips. I follow her eyes down to my shirt to see what is so humorous to her. That's when I noticed that, in my haste I had put my shirt on not only backwards, but inside-out as well.

"Ynsc ib," she instructs. I drop my bag where I stood and grumbled to myself as I did what I was told. She then presumes to fix my shirt and put it on the proper way.  
(Arms up.)

Once my shirt was situated to my mother's liking, I lift my empty bag off the floor and hurried for the door. As soon as my hand touched the cold copper, the sound of a throat being cleared caught my ear. I sigh exasperatedly before turning to face my mother to see what _else_ she had to nitpick.

"Fa'na hud kuehk yhofrana ihdem oui bid y luyd u- "  
(We're not going anywhere until you put a coat o-)

"Ah, sus!" I fussed. The thought of wearing such a movement binding article of clothing on such an exciting day is just criminal to me.  
(Ah, mom!)

"Tuh'd 'ah, sus' sa. Oui ghuf ruf lumt dra tacand ec yd hekrd. E bnuseca dryd oui lyh dyga ed uvv frah fa kad uh dra creb. Huf rinno ib!"  
(Don't _'ah, mom'_ me. You know how cold the desert is at night. I promise that you can take it off when we get on the ship. Now hurry up!)

Once again I grumble irritably to myself as I trudge back into my room to fetch a jacket. I grabbed the first one I saw, not caring what color it was or how badly it clashed with my shirt.

"Huf lyh fa ku?" I inquire upon returning to the room.  
(Now can we go?)

Mother looked thoughtful for a moment, as if pondering over anymore irritating stuff she could throw at me. She must've felt satisfied because her usual bright smile returned to her face.

"Oac, h-," but she didn't even bother to finish her sentence because I had already bolted out the front door the second I had heard the oh-so-sweet word, "yes."


End file.
